Design to Make It

Our Approach

At MARR Architects, we design with delivery in mind. Our work is shaped by first-hand experience of transforming complex sites into successful, sustainable outcomes. We balance strategic clarity with contextual intelligence.

We design with foresight from the outset, driven by curiosity and investigative thinking, to create site-specific, efficient solutions that meet clearly defined requirements, enhance craftsmanship, and ensure successful realisation. Our approach is guided by creative problem-solving and a pursuit of innovative opportunities.

We specialise in interventions that maximise the potential of any given site. Whether working within institutional frameworks or self-build constraints, we reduce environmental impact while enhancing wellbeing and long-term value.

Sustainability in Practice

Sustainability is embedded, not added. It is central to our purpose and intrinsic to how we design.

We draw on lived experience and evolving best practice to shape low-carbon, high-impact projects. Our founder brings extensive experience from leading sustainability strategies on large, complex schemes across housing, education, and commercial sectors—including both new-build and retrofit.

We design buildings that respond to their context and reduce environmental impact through:

  • Passive design strategies that optimise daylight, natural ventilation, building fabric, orientation and thermal mass

  • Adaptive reuse and circular material sourcing, tailored to site and programme

  • Net-zero retrofit and new-build advisory for public and private sector clients

  • Organisation and contribution to environmental assessments that exceed Building Regulations and align with Greater London Authority benchmarks

  • Engagement with frameworks including LETI, RIBA Sustainable Outcomes, PassivHaus, EnerPHit and PAS 2035 and PAS 2038

We employ a context-specific, passive-first approach, maximising the potential of orientation, form and fabric before introducing technological systems. Where appropriate, we integrate measures such as MVHR, heat recovery and circadian lighting to enhance performance and wellbeing. Our goal is to produce robust, low-carbon solutions that are resilient, efficient and enduring. We design buildings to work with the environment, not against it.

As a RIBA-accredited Client Adviser, our founder also brings strategic insight and impartial guidance to project delivery—helping clients define and realise sustainable outcomes from the earliest stages.

We are signatories of Architects Declare and committed to the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge targets.

Project Experience

We do not claim outcomes we have not measured, but we do know what works.

  • Our design contributed to the transformation of a failing school into an Outstanding institution, enhancing both environmental performance and student outcomes

  • We improved occupant wellbeing through daylight, biophilia, and spatial clarity

  • We strengthened community engagement through inclusive briefing and co-design

  • Our self-build project turned a dilapidated Victorian house into a modern, light-filled home, on a minimal budget and with maximum spatial impact

These projects reflect our ethos: strategic, context-responsive, and built to last.

Inclusive and Holistic Design

We believe inclusive design embraces clarity, accessibility, adaptability, comfort, and beauty. It responds to diverse needs and lived experiences, shaping environments that are intuitive, equitable, and uplifting.

Our holistic approach spans early testing, evaluation, and refinement through to final detail, ensuring every element works in harmony. We integrate materiality, safety, buildability, and craftsmanship to shape designs that are considered, durable, and deeply connected to their context.

Teamwork and Advocacy

We believe the journey is as important as the destination. Collaboration sits at the heart of everything we do. We work openly and methodically with clients, consultants, specialists, and stakeholders, aligning around shared goals and a common vision.

Beyond project teams, we actively engage across the industry to advocate for better futures in the built environment. We support diversity and inclusion in the profession and follow pioneering groups including HG+, Part W, and Open City.

Let’s Talk

If you are looking for architecture that is grounded, strategic, and future-ready, we would be happy to talk. Whether you are a public sector leader, private client, or institutional partner, we bring experience, clarity, and a track record of making complex projects work—strategically, sustainably, and with purpose.